Interview with Jarosław Goraj, CEO of Optimum Group, a visionary and a dreamer, and at the same time a man who consistently puts his plans into practice, the originator of the CANA brand – luxury garden kitchens that set global standards and introduce Poland to the idea of outdoor living & cooking.

In your company, you have created a working model based on “turquoise organisation”. This is still not a very popular management model in Poland. What benefits does this system of work bring to the CANA brand?

The turquoise organisation is based on cooperation, and management in many areas is entrusted to the team. Trust and good relationships are important. CANA has a design office, a showroom and an atelier where ‘made-to-measure’ outdoor kitchens are created. Although the team is small, it is united by commitment and passion. People listen to each other and solve problems as a team. This results in ever more perfect products – luxury kitchens, refined down to the last detail.

CANA are garden kitchens, outdoor kitchens. Where did the idea to create such a product come from?

When building my house and arranging the garden, I wanted to create an aesthetically pleasing and functional space in the garden, around which family and social life would vibrate. I wanted this space to become the heart of the garden. Such a place in our homes is always the kitchen and dining room. So the idea was born to move their functions outside, directly into the garden. Until the creation of the CANA brand, there was a lack of exclusive outdoor kitchens offering so many possibilities on the Polish market. It became the mission of the CANA team to create an unparalleled garden kitchen with a well-thought-out and refined construction, unique in terms of design, quality, durability. A Polish brand, promoting innovation, aesthetics, functionality and the quality of the solutions used.

Outdoor kitchens are a growing but still small category. How do you see it developing?

CANA is the idea of outdoor living & cooking, i.e. a lifestyle that combines cooking and spending time together outdoors – in the garden or on an urban terrace. We are popularising the rich and varied European traditions of outdoor living & cooking and al fresco in Poland: Italian cucina all’aperto, French cuisine en plein air, Spanish cocina al aire libre or German Grillkultur are the best-known examples. In southern Europe, outdoor cuisine does not come as a surprise, but in Poland it is still a novelty and requires awareness-building. We would like to open up new possibilities for our compatriots and show that cooking al fresco and grilling can also be exquisite cuisine and a great way to spend time with family and friends.

So what sets CANA kitchens apart?

CANA garden kitchens are a construction that has been thought through from start to finish, from the design to the selection of materials and the craftsmanship of production. Monolithic stainless steel modules and natural quartz sinters are the result of state-of-the-art technology. The precise finishing of every last detail of the kitchen is the fruit of the craftsmanship and experience of CANA’s master craftsmen at the final stage of production. A distinctive feature of CANA kitchens is the possibility to create individual configurations of both colours and fittings. Each CANA kitchen is unique and unrepeatable, tailored to individual preferences and leisure habits. It creates a beautiful, exclusive form of small garden architecture.

The Optimum Group, of which you are president, is not only the CANA brand, but also other areas of business. And not only business – also charity.

The name of the company is the principle of our business practice – we always strive to take full advantage of opportunities, work out the most beneficial solutions and achieve our goals. The Optimum Group is active in several market sectors. Its core business is energy, the second very important sector is property development. However, for me personally, it is very important to develop charitable projects that support local communities. An example of this is cooperation with the Ziarnko Maku Foundation and the construction of the C.E.D.R.- Centre for Education, Diagnosis and Development – a place where we accompany young people and their families on the road to maturity, taking care of them in a holistic way, surrounding them with care for their physical, mental and spiritual development. With the new year, I am starting a new challenge – the SELA Foundation, of which I am the founder, and about which I hope the whole of Poland will soon hear, is inaugurating its activities.